Unearthing and re-creating the "company food" of yesteryear! I'll cook it, my husband will eat it, and you'll rest easy in the knowledge that your next backyard party or church potluck will be a success!

Monday, July 29, 2013

I was torn about writing this up as a regular post, or as a special edition...the recipe originated in the "Joys of Jell-O" recipe book which is, one might say, my literary muse. I varied the recipe to the extent that I used an ingredient not available to mid-century housewives, but since husband didn't know the ingredients I did a standard blind tasting. Also, I have been laboring under the impression that the recipe was actually called "Cucumber Dream", but just now in looking up the ingredients I see that it's actually called "Cucumber CReam." I'm going to stick with my own title, if it's a; the same to you, since I changed the recipe and all.

Whatever your feelings on cucumber, you may or may not feel revulsion at the thought of encasing it in gelatin. It seems to show up in the most unexpected of places (cucumber martinis, forcrissakes!) these days, so my audience may shrug their shoulders en masse and carry on with their lives. I went into this thinking it would be cool and delicious on a hot summer's evening, and that's exactly what it was. And husband....let me tell you something, ladies, if you want to please your man, start feeding him a steady diet of Jell-O. He can't go two days without it, I'm not even kidding. He makes it himself now, if I'm not quick enough on the ball. I don't know if three's anything I could put into a mold that he wouldn't gratefully accept (but I'll keep trying, don't worry).

So, the recipe as it originally appeared:

1 package (3 oz.) Jell-O Lime or Lemon-Lime Gelatin

1 tsp. salt

1 cup boiling water

2 tblsp. vinegar

1 tsp. grated onion

Dash of pepper

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 cups drained minced cucumbers

Dissolve Jell-O Gelatin and salt in boiling water. Add vinegar, onion, and pepper. Chill until very thick. Blend in sour cream and mayonnaise. Then fold in cucumbers. Spoon into individual molds. Chill until firm. Unmold on salad greens. Makes about 4 cups, or 8 side salads.

I made this on a whim, so found myself without lemon or lime Jell-O (I know, right? Like garlic and onion, lemon Jell-O is something one should always have in the house!) and I didn't have any sour cream either. But I did have a box of "Melon Fusion" Jell-O. So here's my altered recipe:

1 package (3 oz.) Jell-O Melon Fusion Gelatin

1 tsp. salt

1 cup boiling water

2 tblsp. vinegar

1 tsp. grated onion

Dash of pepper

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 cups drained minced cucumbers

Dissolve Jell-O Gelatin and salt in boiling water. Add vinegar, onion, and pepper. Chill until very thick. Blend in mayonnaise. Then fold in cucumbers. Spoon into individual molds. Chill until firm. Unmold on salad greens. Makes about 4 cups, or 8 side salads.

Also, as you can see, I just made one large mold. I can't be expected to pull out my individual molds unless there's company to impress and/or horrify.

The video tasting:

Our Rating: Zero screaming husbands!

(all dishes are rated from one to five Screaming Husbands. One Screaming Husband equals a happy home where all problems are solved during cocktail hour. Five Screaming Husbands signals the beginning of divorce proceedings.)